Helena weekly herald., 1887-11-03
THE PEACE MISSION.


the British Parliament, now in Wash
ington with memorial asking our Ma
ton to give its formal endorsement to
the plan of settling international dis
putes by arbitration. 1t may seem to
Englishmen that it is peculiarly desira-
BILE that the United States should lead
off on this line, but we doubt very much
the propriety or utility of any public
announcement or pledges of this sort.
We know by practical experience the
horrors, waste and cost of war, and the
benefits and blessings of peace. As we
become stronger there will be less and
less danger of our being attacked by any
foreign nation, and as we become more
intelligent and intimately connected by
railroads, telegraph and postoffices, and
busily employed in more pleasant and
profitable things, we shall be less and
less liable to internal strife. But we
doubt if any good will come from any
public pledges that we will not go to
war under any provocation. Such a
pledge would not amount to anything
when the pinch came, and it might
possibly lead some other nation
to impose on our good nature
under color Of such pledges.
The proper way to do this thing is by
mutual obligations in treaties between
nations, providing that in any case OF
dispute which could not be settled be-
tween the two nations, they would leave
it to some arbiter mutually acceptable
and abide the judgment of such arbiter.
As between the United States and Great
Britain this plan has been tried in
several cases and with general good re-
suits, and even without any special treaty
provision it will be more likely to be
repeated in future, as England has more
reason to respect our strength. If we
should propose with England to give up
the construction of ships of war we
should probably get for answer that
England needed them as protection for
her colonies and commerce as against
other nations and we should have to ad-
NIT the propriety of the suggestion. But
it would none the less give England
temporary advantage over us in case she
repudiated any treaty obligation to refer
disputes to arbitration. 1t would prac-
ticallv amount to nothing more than an
expression of an opinion by one gener-
alton that the next one, under different
circumstances, might not entertain.
Our favorable situation on continent
where we are never likely to have any
rivals in power give us an assurance of
peace better than all the treaty declara-
tions in the world. But it must be re-
membered that cur Republican form of
government, as well as our rapid growth,
are exciting the fears and jealousies of
the nations of Europe, whose governing
heads and administrations can have no
real and enduring friendship for US.
If as a result of the impending con-
fict of nations in Europe one great
power should arise, welding the COM
bined powers of all western Europe, then
we should be very apt to be the object of
hostilities.
Again, in the course of a few years,
when our country is generally settled up
and our manufactures have increased a
hundredfold, it is certain that we are
going to become the greatest CONNER
cial nation in the world. and that will
bring US into conflict with other powers
seeking the same object. 1t will lead
US naturally to acquire possessions out
side of our own borders, which we have
heretofore sedulously avoided. AS the
greatest nation in the world, with a
navy to protect our commerce in every
sea, we should be besieged by other
weak nations and countries to take
them under our wing. We cannot and
ought not to say that we will never con-
sent to do this, for it may become clearly
for our interests and be our highest duty
to do that very thing.
A day of conflict will come when by
our expansion we will come in contact and
direct competition with other great pow
ers. No one can tell how soon this day
may arrive. If general European war
should be fought out to the bitter end
and continue for term of years, we do
not well see how England can avoid be-
ing drawn into it. Naturally the opper-
tunity would come to us to do the carry
ing trade for all Europe and the rest of
the world. England would not allow
this if by any possibility she could pre-
vent it.
1t is clearly our immediate interest and
duty to construct a navy that will be
able to protect our own commerce and
all that will naturally seek shelter under
our flag in the event of such a war in
Europe. We need this navy as well to
enforce respect for policy of CONNER
cial union with the nations on this con-
tinent, which ought not to be delayed a
single year.
If in the present conflict of parties in
England there should be Tory ascend
ancy, or union between them and that
selfish commercial class that fitted out